N-ALKYLATION OF ANILINE WITH METHANOL OVER CRPO4 AND CRPO4-ALPO4 (5-50 WT-PERCENT ALPO4) CATALYSTS

The vapor-phase alkylation of aniline with methanol was carried out at atmospheric pressure and different temperatures (573-673 K) and feed rates over CrPO4 (CrP) and CrPO4-AlPO4 (CrAlP, 5-50 wt% AlPO4) catalys ts. Aniline methylation was a pseudo-first-order process with respect to aniline concentration. The effect of surface acidity on aniline alk ylation, as measured by pyridine and 2,6-dimethylpyridine adsorption, is discussed. The influence of feed rate (WHSV), time-on-stream and te mperature on both activity and product selectivity was also investigat ed, Alkylation is a sequential reaction process, in which methylation of aniline produces N-methylaniline (NMA), then N,N-dimethylaniline (N NDMA) and subsequently N,N-dimethyltoluidines (NNDMT, p->o-). N-methyl ation products (NMA + NNDMA) are predominant with a selectivity over 9 0 mol% in the temperature range 573-673 K. Selectivity to N,N-dimethyl aniline is enhanced as reaction temperature and/or contact time increa ses. N,N-dimethyltoluidines are only present in very small amounts at higher temperatures and/or contact times. (C) 1997 Academic Press.